The Stolen Child

With apologies to Amy (and yes, I will be using this most flattering and accurate of pictures when I refer to you instead of reaching into the bad hair how did we survive the 80's archives) I have had to change the name of my TypeList from My Fav Books to My Recent Books. "Fav" (derivative of favorite for the purpose of shortening the type, not conceding to gangsta talk or IM abbreviations which allow my children to IM about completely inappropriate things without me being any the wiser) tells my blog readers (I think Julie Powell might have trademarked the name "bleaders" so I am hesitant to use it because it would be SO like her to sue me for it just to further ensure that she doesn't have to go back to her job as a government drone and can continue to shuffle around her Long Island City apartment in her fluffy slippers) that the book is in fact a "favorite" and I just can't be too loose with that appellation. My reverence for books simply doesn't allow me to. Sorry, I realize that paragraph had more parenthetical remarks than real stuff...it's early on a Saturday morning...deal with it!)

So, now let me tell you about The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. I can be somewhat impatient with books, especially if a book I REALLY want to read is at the top of my pile at my bedside. But first of all, I felt compelled for the sake of truly representing my reading habits (in which I know you are all overwhelmingly interested) by posting about fiction next and second of all there's that whole quote on the Starbucks grande skinny latte with two Equals cup (see post of Sept. 1 The Wisdom of Starbucks). So I trudged through The Stolen Child often finding myself distracted by checking my e-mail five times an hour, filing my rough edged nails that I never would have noticed if I was more enthralled and actually supervising the several boys who were playing at my house.

The Stolen Child is, like Amy herself, unusual. It has a balance of fantasy and reality with just a touch of mystery and uncertainty. Just when you kind of think maybe you know where it's going...it doesn't. And I admire that in a book. The fairy tale premise of the book is that there are little tribes of changelings. To me they were like the Brownies I remember in my Brownie Handbook (which in the late '60s did NOT look like that and was certainly NOT available in Spanish) only slightly more malevolent (in a sweet, childlike way) and slightly less hygienic. The changelings are children who were stolen from their parents and replaced by other changelings who studied their every facet before duplicating them in form and taking their place in the family.

The Stolen Child tells its tale by alternating between chapters from the perspective of the child (Henry Day) and from the perspective of the changeling left behind (Aniday). And I must share that I am a complete sucker for this method of storytelling. In the hands of a less talented writer, the alternating chapters can be confusing and annoying, especially if the two viewpoints do not have very distinctive "voices". I think Barbara Kingsolver did this brilliantly with four or five perspectives in The Poisonwood Bible. Keith Donohue does a fine job leaving the reader between chapters missing the previous voice but looking forward to the next voice.

The writing is beautiful. I think it would be lovely to hear it read aloud. There are no trite phrases or metaphors that have been beat to death...just lyrical descriptions and unique pieces of dialogue.

I must admit that I did get sucked in by the last third of the novel. But the earlier parts were slow-going for me. Now, keep in mind that two days of this week school was closed for the non-hurricane that was Ernesto and my husband was away on business, so I was a little distracted wondering if I was going to have to single-handedly batten down the hatches, bring in the patio furniture and decide when we should all retreat to the master bedroom closet to wait out the storm. None of that happened, but obsessing about the possibility may have kept me from truly ensconcing myself in the wonder of The Stolen Child.

So, if you are inclined toward magical realism (which I am not), have a niggling belief in fairy tales (which I don't) and share my appreciation of the alternating narrative, this may in fact be a "fav book" for you. So we shall not excoriate Amy for recommending this book although, knowing my reading preferences as she does, she might have saved me the $14.37 plus shipping by sending me the book instead of making me order it from Amazon (along with WAY too many other books in the past month). Instead, we will put Amy on top secret probation until she redeems herself with a book recommendation that sends me soaring to new heights of exaltation!
Di

Comments

[Shirley]

I don't think I will read "The Stolen Child" since I don't like magical realism or fairy tales either. Thanks for an honest review.

[amy]

ok, i guess i've been exonerated...i think. though i'm nervous about the recprucussions of the Stolen Child recommendation being the reason that diane had to change the name of her blog. does this mean that i might be set upon by hundreds (thousands?) of angry bleaders (hey, i am just a lowly respondent and therefore cannot be sued by the Great Julie Powell, all hail, all hail) who resent that diane just writes about recent books, not favs? Does this mean she will no longer be culling the wheat from the chaf? I don't dare recommend my all-time favorite book ever, A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin because it is all about magic and mystery. On the non-fiction end however, i would recommend The Children's Blizzard--and skip all the weather parts, which unless you are a weatherphile (i'm sure the NYT crossword torturers have a much more archaic and complex name for someone who loves the weather, but i am still working on 24 down and can't be bothered to look it up), will bore you to tears--the un-how-our-weather-reporting-system-began parts of the book are fascinating, it is the Anti-Little House on the Prairie tv series book. Actually, the author quotes Laura Ingalls Wilder many times and applauds her accuracy in describing the harshness of prairie life, and in reading The Children's Blizzard, I was continually amazed and depressed as to how anyone could ever live in those extreme weather conditions, then or now. Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes. And neither would their trailers, hair and makeup people, craft service, camera-lens-people, etc.

But Diane, it's yet another NON-FICTION and i know how you are trying to be more balanced. I will attempt to read and finish at least 3 of the 30 or so books i've stored up for the long winter courtesy of Barnes and Noble (which, you may have noticed, was 98 down this week. No amazon references that i saw!) and see if i can't complete my partial redemtion.

Not that i'm competitive or anything, but the gauntlet has been thrown and i'm up to the task. Let the reading begin!

amy

[Di]

I remember struggling through about a third of A Winter's Tale because I think this was the first Amy recommendation that didn't work out. I guess we have to agree to disagree about the magical realism thing.

As for gauntlets, now that you are doing the Times Sunday puzzle you have inspired me to actually do it and TIME IT!!! 49 minutes this week with one pee break and eating a sandwich that Haley was supposed to take for lunch but left (for me?) This is all I need. Now that I've started timing it, it's only a matter of time before I want to compete in the Annual Crossword Championship. Ugh!
Di

[Susan Helene Gottfried]

Whew. I just contacted the author this morning, since he's local, to see if he'd be available to speak at a PFA meeting!